Tidepooling is one of the most fascinating experiences for kids and adults alike. The SF Bay area gives you so many wonderful beaches and reserves where you can enjoy sea life right on the beach during low tides. Tidepooling is our favorite family activity and I am excited to share the ins and outs of tidepooling with you. Whether you live in the SF Bay Area or you are here for a visit, I hope you will discover this enriching activity.

WHAT IS TIDEPOOLING ?

During the low tides (lower than -0.5), the water along the beaches recedes enough to reveal under water life forms such as anemone, starfishes, seastars and more.

For a few hours, while the tide is low, you can just walk along the beach and explore various life-forms (touch them gently!) in little pools of water called tide-pools.

This activity is called tidepooling and I gather than many families in the SF Bay Area have made it a family activity (we always see several families). Seeing sea-life in their pristine habitat is truly fascinating, not to mention the fact that just when you think you have seen it all, you always discover something you have not – this last time, we saw a baby octopus!

WHERE?

There are several locations where you can go tidepooling. If you have time constraints, just choose the one closest to you. If not, I highly recommend the Fitzgerald Reserve and Asilomar Beach. The flat long beach is perfect to walk along with kids.

WHAT NEXT?

Just head on down, dress warm and start to explore.

Slow down, bend down and look closely.

Observe and be awed.

We have had so much fun and learning every single time. The kids love it and this is an activity that absolutely does not disappoint!

Places to Visit with Kids in California:

Sunshine Kids Blog Hop 2014

Summer is a great time to explore with your kids – and you don’t have to travel far to do it! California has so much to offer to families. Take a great staycation this summer by visiting your local treasures! In our second annual Sunshine Kids Blog Hop, we are focusing on our favorite places to visit with kids in California. Enjoy! And be sure to add your own family-friendly California posts in our linky at the bottom. You can also check out even more California posts on our collaborative Kid Friendly California Pinterest board!

The disappearing ink or invisible ink activity and craft is one of the most fun science/ pretend play crafts ever! What is more is that this activity is perfect for a wide age range and widely enjoyed by both boys and girls. It is a also such a fun extension activity if your kids are excited about magic, spy books, pretend play involving mystery and more.

Right around the age of 3, kids start to understand the concept of a secret. As they get a little older (preschoolers) they start getting excited about magic and things appearing and disappearing. Elementary aged kids, with their growing interest in mystery books and science will also find this intriguing as they explore the reasons behind why and how this happens.

WHAT YOU NEED -

Paper

Cotton Swabs

Lemon Juice

An excited child!

HOW TO CREATE THE SECRET MESSAGE

This is so simple! Just have the child dip the cotton swab in the lemon juice and write the message on paper.

Your child can see the message as he/she writes, so it is very visible for now.

Set off the paper to dry!

HOW TO REVEAL THE SECRET MESSAGE

Make sure to have your child close by as you do this step. This is the most exciting part for a child! Watch their excitement and expression closely. There was a LOT of screaming and squealing with excitement at my home as my girls started to see their message appear!

1. Iron the paper. This is what we did! I slowly increased the heat setting on the iron to make sure the message gets revealed without burning the paper. The message will show up in a burnt brown color once the heat is enough to do so.

2. Set the paper atop an oven (toaster oven), turn the oven on and wait.

This was such a fun activity. This wonderful activity was inspired by the Tinkerlab book (affiliate link), written by Rachelle Doorley, author of the very well known Tinkerlab blog! We absolutely LOVE this book and highly recommend it. Here is my Amazon review of the book too (go buy the book now, it won’t disappoint!)

Tinkerlab is a gorgeously designed book with carefully written words that make me want to slow down and soak it up.I have been a long time follower of the Tinkerlab Blog and I have learned that our approach towards our kids and the activities they do can contribute towards raising independent thinkers and problem solvers.

I highly recommend this book for any parent and/or teacher. Here are the reasons why -1. The author Rachelle is an arts educator (and a mom) and she really speaks from experience.2. The book is has a PREPARE section at the beginning of the book that really sets the stage for how we can prepare the space, get the tools and create habits that will let us raise our little Tinkerers. This is the most important portion of the book (in my opinion) as it reiterates over and over that it is all about the process and the experience our kids have.3. The activities themselves are very simple to set up.4. Every activity has an “Experiment” section that gives little extensions and asks questions. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these, because this is what really contributes to kids exploring the activity beyond the obvious, asking questions and becoming curious.5. Finally, the book is a work of art by itself. It is so pretty and inviting.

What are your kids doing this Summer? All you need is an activity a day from the 101 Kids Activities Book!
We got the book (what a great gift from the writers – thank you Holly and Rachel!) and the very next day the book was no more mine! I had no idea that getting kids excited about having fun with crafts and experiments is as simple as letting them steal a simple, colorful and information packed crafts book. Over the past 2 weeks, we have made foil boats, done rubber band painting, created colorful bath salt rocks, made book bridges and more!

Kids have so much energy, curiosity and willingness to explore the world around them! But as adults, we cannot keep up with all their energy and can definitely use some help! The 101 Kids Activities Book has been such an amazing resource for me the past few weeks. It has found a special spot on my kitchen counter top. Every day, the girls tell me what craft they want to do next and I assemble the supplies.
I am off to work the next day and they are off having fun and creating!

My girls were so excited that they played around with painting with toothbrushes, fingers and even used rubber bands like paint brushes. My little one claimed she had no idea that painting could be so much fun!

I will continue to share more activities inspired by the book. I highly recommend the book for any parents and caregivers that need quick activities that are fun for kids.

WE HAVE A GIVEAWAY!

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This post is a a part of the KBN (Kid Blogger Network) MeMe-it-Forward Series. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Today’s feature is Edventures with Kids. This blog is a site that has “Kids Activities, Family Travel & Fun Ways to Learn” . Jacquie Fisher, the founder of Edventures with Kids, started the blog with a hope to inspire families to explore new places and unique activities to enhance a child’s curiosity & creativity. If you love these activities in the clickable collage below, make sure you visit and follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter and Pinteresttoo. Thank you Jacqui, for letting us share your travel resources here!

You have to check out all of these great ideas. CLICK on any image on this CLICKABLE COLLAGE (yes, you can click individual images in the collage!) and you will reach the activities directly on Edventures with Kids.

This post is a a part of the KBN MeMe-it-Forward Series.. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Click on the image below to find all other posts in the series. ENJOY!

If you are featured, don’t forget to pick up the badge for your sidebar!

From the minute a child starts to count, he/she has started exploring the whole world of Math. However, building a child’s interest in Math isn’t always so easy. Kids understand math way before they can read and write independently, so how do we get them to build those math skills in creative ways? Erica from What Do We Do All Day? (a blog we love!!) shows us how by introducing and sharing the most amazingly simple and creative Math games. Did you know that understanding visual patterns is a key Math skill? How about a Math art activity? All of these ideas and more, featured in our collage today – take a look and click through!

This post is a a part of the KBN (Kid Blogger Network) MeMe-it-Forward Series. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Today’s feature is What Do We Do All Day?. This blog is a site with amazing children’s book recommendations and easy play and learning activities for kids. Erica, the founder of What Do We Do All Day?, started the blog to helping parents find simple ways to get through the day with their kids. . If you love these activities in the clickable collage below, make sure you visit and follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest too. Thank you Erica, for letting us share your math activities and inspiration here!

You have to check out all of these great ideas. CLICK on any image on this CLICKABLE COLLAGE (yes, you can click individual images in the collage!) and you will reach the activities directly on What Do We Do All Day?.

This post is a a part of the KBN MeMe-it-Forward Series.. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Click on the image below to find all other posts in the series. ENJOY!

If you are featured, don’t forget to pick up the badge for your sidebar!

Creative activities with kids need not be complicated. It is just a matter exploring new materials in new ways, while keeping the basic activity simple. What do I mean by that? Look at the collage today with creative painting and craft activities from Varya at Creative World of Varya. Creativity is just simple painting. Creativity is also exploring coloring with salt, painting with leaves, painting with pencil shavings too. There are so many ways to get kids to explore colors and engage in creativity and that is exactly the focus of the wonderful collage shared here today.

This post is a a part of the KBN (Kid Blogger Network) MeMe-it-Forward Series. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Today’s feature is Creative World of Varya. This blog is a site that has activities to encourage creativity and nourish children’s abilities. Varya, the founder of Creative World of Varya, started the blog to inspire families to spend more time with children to discover and nurture their abilities and talents. If you love these activities in the clickable collage below, make sure you visit and follow the blog on Facebook, and Twitter too. Thank you Varya, for letting us share your painting ideas here!

You have to check out all of these great ideas. CLICK on any image on this CLICKABLE COLLAGE (yes, you can click individual images in the collage!) and you will reach the activities directly on Creative World of Varya.

This post is a a part of the KBN MeMe-it-Forward Series.. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Click on the image below to find all other posts in the series. ENJOY!

If you are featured, don’t forget to pick up the badge for your sidebar!

History of a country or a continent is a hard concept for kids. But with the right resources, it is easy to give kids a rich education in history. Selena Robinson from Look! We’re Learning! is a homeschooling mom sharing her resources to introduce kids to African History.Starting from a simple introduction to the continent of Africa, to learning about Apartheid in South Africa, Selena shares wonderfully exhaustive resources. Be sure to read the full post and explore the links below!

This post is a a part of the KBN (Kid Blogger Network) MeMe-it-Forward Series. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Today’s feature is Look! We’re Learning! This blog is about eclectic homeschooling as a family. Selena Robinson, the founder of Look! We’re Learning!, started the blog to share their homeschooling journey since both her husband and Selena are involved in teaching the kids. If you love these activities in the clickable collage below, make sure you visit and follow the blog on Facebook, Twitterand Pinterest too. Thank you Selena, for letting us share your resources for African History here!

You have to check out all of these great ideas. CLICK on any image on this CLICKABLE COLLAGE (yes, you can click individual images in the collage!) and you will reach the activities directly on Look! We’re Learning!

This post is a a part of the KBN MeMe-it-Forward Series.. In this series, MeMeTales Blog is featuring a new resource website/blogger from the Kid Blogger Network everyday! Click on the image below to find all other posts in the series. ENJOY!

If you are featured, don’t forget to pick up the badge for your sidebar!